THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE

Henry Daniell

THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE (1959). Director: Edward L. Cahn. Colorized version. 

Jonathan Drake's (Eduard Franz) whole family has been under a curse for generations, a curse that has to do with Jivaro headhunters and revenge down in South America. Drake's ancestor killed a whole host of Indians in retaliation for their beheading an important crew member. Now every male member of the Drake family will die on his 60th birthday and be buried without their heads. After this happens to Jonathan's brother, Kenneth, (Paul Cavanagh), both his daughter, Alison (Valerie French) and Police Lt. Jeff Rowan (Grant Richards of Guns Girls and Gangsters) are afraid Jonathan might be next. 

Valerie French and Grant Richards

The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake is a gruesome hoot, a wild melange of shrunken heads (how they are processed is shown in detail), decapitations by machete, ancient Indians with their lips sewn together wearing moccasins made of human flesh, severed heads boiled in pots, and a centuries-old sinister figure with a white man's head stitched on top of an Indian's body! Skulls and heads show up at unexpected moments. The acting is all satisfactory, with Henry Daniell taking top honors in an underplayed performance as the sinister Dr. Zurich. Grant Richards has a brusque, butch style that works well for his role. 

Verdict: More shrunken heads than you can throw a stick at! ***. 

GUNS GIRLS AND GANGSTERS

Mamie Van Doren goes into her dance

GUNS GIRLS AND GANGSTERS (1959). Director: Edward L. Cahn. Colorized. 

When Chuck Wheeler (Gerald Mohr of Angry Red Planet) gets out of prison, he makes a beeline for Las Vegas and his cellmate Mike's (Lee Van Cleef of Machete) estranged wife, Vi (Mamie Van Doren), who wants nothing to do with either of them. But the sleazy Chuck needs Vi's help in a two million dollar armored car robbery that he's planning, and he also enlists her boss and current lover, Joe Darren (Grant Richards). Everything is going according to plan -- Vi and Chuck are also inexplicably falling in love -- but the whole business is threatened when an angry Mike breaks out of jail three months ahead of schedule. Now it's a question if the robbery can go off and if either Vi or Chuck will survive the jealous Mike's wrath ...  

Grant Richards and Gerald Mohr

The generically-titled Guns Girls and Gangsters is a snappy and well-acted crime thriller that moves at a breathless pace, especially in the final quarter detailing the robbery and its aftermath. Although it's hard to fathom why Vi would ever fall for a cruddy and unattractive character like Chuck, the actors do the best they can to make their romance convincing -- Van Doren is better in this than usual. As the mad dog Mike Lee Van Cleef is a bit disappointing, adding no nuance to his character and just spitting out his lines as if he was fed them five minutes earlier. Richards is effective as Joe and there is a very good fight  scene between him and Van Cleef in an automobile. John Baer and Elaine Edwards are fine as a married couple who run the motel/cabins where Vi stays as she waits for the big day to come and where the armored car will wind up after a bullet strikes its tire, courtesy of Chuck and his rifle. Van Doren proves that she can put over a song in this (although I suspect she's dubbed) and does it twice. The narration threatens to become intrusive but doesn't ruin the film. Edward L. Cahn also directed You Have to Run Fast -- among numerous other films -- which co-starred Richards and Edwards. 

Verdict: Suspenseful, tense, action-packed crime drama. ***. 

IT, THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE

"IT" on the rampage

IT, THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE (1958). Director: Edward L. Cahn. Colorized. 

The first ship to explore Mars has only one survivor, Colonel Edward Carruthers (Marshall Thompson of Mystery Street), who is suspected of murdering the other crew members to conserve dwindling food supplies for himself. Carruthers insists that a hostile life form killed the others, and he's right -- this highly dangerous creature sneaks aboard the ship holding the members of the second expedition and kills them off one by one while Colonel Van Heusen (Kim Spalding), Ann Anderson (Shirley Patterson of The Land Unknown) and their colleagues try to figure out how to destroy the beast. 

Bice, Doran, Greer and Spalding

It, the Terror from Beyond Space, written by Jerome Bixby, whatever its low-budget flaws, remains a highly entertaining and suspenseful space monster flick, well-directed by the prolific Cahn. Spalding and Paul Langton probably give the best performances, although the others -- including Ann Doran, Dabbs Greer, Robert Bice and others -- are also effective. It uses the same score as Kronos, which came out the previous year. The picture moves fast so that you might not wonder how on earth it's a good idea to use grenades on a space ship! As has been noted by me and others many times, this film was very influential on the big-budget Alien, which uses the same plot and some of the same plot elements -- blasting the creature out of the air lock at the end, for instance -- as well. Ray Corrigan [The Monster and the Ape] plays the monster and the ubiquitous Pierre Watkin is an official back on Earth.

Verdict: Memorable sci fi creature feature which works quite well in color. ***. 

THE SHE CREATURE

Chester Morris and Marla English

THE SHE-CREATURE (1956). Director: Edward L. Cahn. 

Dr. Carlo Lombardi (Chester Morris) claims he is able to get in touch with the past lives of his subject, Andrea (Marla English of Runaway Daughters), by putting her in a trance. Andrea can give details of her 16th century life as a woman named Elizabeth. Lombardi can not only also regress Andrea to an ancestor from thousands of years ago, but call this ancestor -- a kind of humanoid, prehistoric sea creature -- up from the sea, where it proceeds to kill people. Dr. Ted Erickson (Lance Fuller of This Island Earth) is out to debunk Lombardi, while Timothy Chappel (Tom Conway of Bride of the Gorilla) wants to turn him into a star -- for 50% of the profits. But things get sticky when Red and Andrea fall in love ... 

Lance Fuller with William Hudson in the background

The She-Creature is one weird and nonsensical movie. Chester Morris, in an unusual role for him, gives a good account of himself, but we never learn how he knew that Andrea was once this strange creature nor is it explained why or how he can materialize it from the sea. It simply makes no sense. On the other hand, there simply isn't enough of the creature and its attacks to keep the excitement level up, and the film eventually becomes tedious. The actors, including Fuller and English, do the best they can and are generally more than adequate.

close-up of the She-Creature

Others in the cast include Cathy Downs [Missile to the Moon] and Frieda Inescort (as Conway's daughter and wife), Ron Randell [Captive Women] as a police lieutenant, El Brendel as Conway's comical butler, Frank Jenks as Randell's associate, Jack Mulhall as Lombardi's lawyer, and William Hudson as a tippling party guest who has a thing for Downs. These last two were both in The Amazing Colossal Man while English, Fuller and Conway also appeared in director Cahn's production of Voodoo Woman. The She-Creature, portrayed by Paul Blaisdell, has claws, intense eyes and large breasts.

Verdict: Sounds like fun but really isn't. **. 

WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES

WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES (1961). Director: Edward L. Cahn.

The Cady Lodge, owned and run by Cady (Henry Corden), is located not far from a prison. That very night a man, Pierce, is about to be executed, although witness Sam Morgan (James Brown) isn't so sure about his identification of the condemned man. On the road Sam picks up Ellie (Merry Anders of Legacy of Blood), who turns out to be Mrs. Pierce, the wife of the man on death row. Apparently there's $600,000 floating around and both Sam and Ellie want a piece of it -- could the answer be in the condemned man's effects? As the couple conspire, Sheriff Mitchell (Roy Barcroft of G-Men Never Forget) drops by for his usual beer --- and there's two other visitors to the lodge: Martinez (Jorge Moreno), who insists that he killed the man allegedly murdered by the now-dead Pierce; and yet another "Mrs. Pierce" (Peggy Stewart)!

Corden, Brown and Anders

When the Clock Strikes, while illogical at times, certainly has an intriguing premise as well as a few good twists. It's fun to see major serial villain Roy Barcroft playing a good guy for a change. Brown and Anders offer lead performances that are competent but suggest there wasn't much rehearsal time for this very low-budget opus. Edward L. Cahn was the prolific director of seemingly a thousand B movies, including The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake, Invasion of the Saucer Men, and Voodoo Woman. 

Verdict: Minor but intriguing little mystery movie. **1/2. 

MOTORCYCLE GANG

Steve Terrell and Anne Neyland

MOTORCYCLE GANG (1957). Director: Edward L. Cahn.

Randy (Steven Terrell of Invasion of the Saucer Men) importunes tough motocycle gal Terry (Anne Neyland) to join his club, but she isn't crazy about the rules set down by Lt. Watson (Russ Bender). Neither is Nick (John Ashley), who has just finished a 15 month spell in prison for which he blames Randy. Randy and Nick now hate each other and compete for Terry while a discarded Marilyn (Jean Moorhead of The Violent Years) can only simmer. The rivalry really erupts when Terry convinces Randy to accept Nick's challenge to race on the railroad tracks, which will surely end in disaster. 

Anne Neyland, Jean Moorhead, John Ashley

The performances in Motorcycle Gang, aside from the ever-mediocre Jean Moorhead, really aren't terrible, but the cliche-ridden script doesn't ask too much of its players. Steve Terrell is as appealing in this as he was in all of his movies. The same year this drek came out leading lady Anne Neyland, who has a certain saucy insolence, also had decent parts in Jailhouse Rock and was John Payne's leading lady in Hidden Fear. Alas this only led to a few minor TV credits; even Moorhead did better, so to speak. Clowning around all through the movie is a goofy character named Speed, whom I did not recognize at all as Carl "Alfalfa "Switzer of Little Rascals fame; he's okay. The picture has a spurt of excitement at the very end when Nick and his moronic buddies try to terrorize a cafe owner, his wife, and others only to get their clocks cleaned by Randy and his buddies. Overall this is rather dull.  

Verdict: Try to miss it if you can. *1/2. 

DANGEROUS PARTNERS

James Craig and Signe Hasso

DANGEROUS PARTNERS (1945). Director: Edward L. Cahn. Colorized.

After a plane crash Carola Ballister (Signe Hasso) discovers that one of the passengers, Kingby (Edmund Gwenn), has in his possession four wills naming him the beneficiary of one million dollars each. Carola teams up with shady lawyer Jeff Caighn (James Craig of Flying G-Men) and the two form a shaky partnership, even after learning that one of the people leaving money to Kingby has been murdered. The couple set out to contact the other three people and hope they will hand over to them the bonds that are in their possession, but Kingby has no intention of sitting still for this ...  

Signe Hasso and Edmund Gwenn

Dangerous Partners is, frankly, a confusing and unsatisfying bit of film noir, although it has some good moments and good acting. Leading man Craig is notable as the lawyer, but Signe Hasso doesn't really make the most compelling of femme fatales. Part of the problem is her odd looks; the rest is a performance that never really comes alive, although she is competent. The picture is stolen by Edmund Gwenn, playing against type as a nasty and murderous Nazi. Audrey Totter and Mabel Paige also have small roles. Throughout the movie we come to know Jeff and Carola as rather unpleasant people, so their abrupt switch to relative decency at the end -- especially where Jeff is concerned -- isn't very convincing. Director Edward L. Cahn never manages to build up much suspense. Cahn also directed the zesty Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake. Photographed by Karl Freund. 

Verdict: Half-baked film noir. **1/4. 

Verdict: 

THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE

Our villain prepares a shrunken head

THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE (1959). Director: Edward L. Cahn. 

Jonathan Drake (Eduard Franz), an anthropologist, has been frightened of a family curse that strikes male members when they hit sixty years of age. When the Jivaro Indians in South America kidnapped and beheaded a Swiss agent who worked with Drake's great-grandfather, the retaliation -- the murder of all the male Jivaros, including children -- was decided overkill. Now Drake's ancestors are paying the price. The latest victim is Kenneth Drake (Paul Cavanagh of Bride of the Gorilla), whose head is found missing when his coffin is opened at his funeral! When Jonathan himself is attacked, Lt. Jeff Rowan (Grant Richards of You Have to Run Fast) looks into the matter as Drake's daughter, Alison (Valerie French) wrings her hands and worries. 

Henry Daniell pontificates

The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake is not one of prolific director Edward L. Cahn's better efforts, as a film with this plot should certainly be rich with atmosphere, which this isn't. However Orville H. Hampton's gleefully ghoulish screenplay makes this nifty horror film a contender. We not only have beheadings, shrunken heads, a mute Jivaro Indian with his lips sewn shut who runs about with a cleaver and a basket and wears sandals made of human skin, but there's his master, who has a white man's head sewn onto an ancient Indian's body. And we mustn't forget Henry Daniell, light years from Camille, who makes the most of his sinister role as Dr. Emil Zurich. Four Skulls is a lot of grotesque fun. 

Verdict: Delightfully gruesome horror flick. ***. 

RUNAWAY DAUGHTERS

Kay, English and Castillo

RUNAWAY DAUGHTERS (1956). Director: Edward L. Cahn.

"Some men are kids at thirty. Some kids are men at twenty." 

Three young ladies have their problems at home. Audrey (Marla English) has overly permissive parents, Ruth (Anna Sten of Let's Live a Little) and George (John Litel). Mary (Mary Ellen Kay) lives with her father (Jay Adler), who fears she will become like her tramp mother who left home, and objects to her wanting to marry her boyfriend, Bobby (Steven Terrell). Angela (Gloria Castillo) is ignored by her unseen mother and has to make do with her horrible brother, Tony (Lance Fuller), who has his eye on Audrey. Fed up with life and parents, the three gals take off in a stolen car and get in a wreck, then decide to go to work at a dance hall run by Tony's gal pal Dixie (Adele Jergens). But can there possibly be a happy ending for any of these young ladies?

Adele Jergens and Lance Fuller

Although her part is not huge, Adele Jergens probably gives the best and most vivid performance in the movie, and she is a lot of fun as she verbally spars with Angela in more than one sequence. English makes a better impression in this than she did in her starring role in Voodoo Woman. Mary Ellen Kay is also a bit better than usual, and Castillo is probably the best actress of the three. Lance Fuller scores as Tony, herein given one of his best roles, and John  Litel makes an amiably clueless and borderline alcoholic father. Steven Terrell, who also appeared with  Castillo in Invasion of the Saucer Men, is adept and appealing. Frank Gorshin also makes an appearance as a teen, as does Nicky Blair as dopey Joe. Edward L. Cahn directed in haste. 

Verdict: You might need to runaway from this often silly melodrama. **1/4. 

VOODOO WOMAN

Touch Connors wants none of Marla English

VOODOO WOMAN (1957). Director: Edward L. Cahn.

Deep in the jungle, a crazy scientist named Dr. Roland Gerard (Tom Conway of Bride of the Gorilla) uses a combination of his science and the witch doctor, Chaka's (Martin Wilkins) voodoo to turn a pretty native girl, Zuranda (Jean Davis) into a hideous, hulking monster. With some vague plan to get revenge on colleagues who laughed at him and probably take over the world, Gerard is dismayed to discover that the decent Zuranda will not kill at his command, even when she is in her monster form. However, he also discovers that a greedy adventuress named Marilyn Blanchard (Marla English), who had a tough early life in Pittsburgh, will be only too happy to kill whoever gets in her way. Will these two creeps form an unholy alliance?

Wedded bliss? Tom Conway and Mary Ellen Kay

Voodoo Woman just misses being a hoot, although it certainly tries hard to be a luridly entertaining melodrama. Marla English makes a game effort to get across Marilyn's sociopathology, but she hasn't quite got the real acting chops to completely pull it off. As Gerard's helpless wife, Susan, whom he keeps a prisoner, Mary Ellen Kay gets across her character's hysteria but is also limited as an actress. Conway, who looks ill, is fun as the mad doctor. Lance Fuller [This Island Earth] is Marilyn's disposable boyfriend, Rick, and Mike Connors (billed as "Touch" Connors) is the guide, Ted,  who takes the couple deep into the dangerous jungle wherein they encounter that fun couple, the Gerards. It's funny how often Ted rejects the supposedly seductive advances and icy would-be charms of the not-terribly-feminine Marilyn. This was the one and only starring role for Marla English, and the last picture she made as well. One positive thing about the movie is that at least it employed a lot of black actors instead of having natives portrayed by whites, although native stereotypes undoubtedly abound. Paul Blaisdell, who designed the barely-seen creature, plays the monster.

Verdict: Moderately compelling schlock. **.

INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN

Steven Terrell and Gloria Castillo

INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN (1957). Director: Edward L. Cahn.

"I bet you killed one of my price heifers!" -- Farmer Larkin

Out near Lover's Lane in the town of Hicksville, two teens who plan to get married -- Johnny (Steven Terrell) and Joan (Gloria Castillo) -- run over a little green man who came out of a spaceship. Bedeviled by the creature's severed but animated claw, they contact the police, only to be accused of killing a huckster named Joe (Frank Gorshin of Hot Rod Girl) who hoped to cash in on the alien's body. As the military close in on the spaceship and ultimately destroy it, Johnny and Joan decide to find the little green man's corpse for themselves, and do the sensible thing -- by fleeing the police station and stealing a patrol car! They enlist the aid of Joe's roommate, Artie (Lyn Osborn), who doesn't seem the slightest bit concerned or even that curious about his supposed friend's demise. Since the adults won't listen to them, Johnny and Joan gather up the necking teenagers and decide to take care of the alien invaders -- if that's what they even are -- themselves. 

aliens on the loose!

Invasion of the Saucer Men is not a very good movie, but it's not an out and out parody, although it comes close at times. The aliens, who are short but have big, membranous and ugly heads, appear only briefly, although one of them has a fight with a bull, injecting the animal with alcohol (as it did Joe) via needles at the end of its fingers. As for the cast, Steven Terrell was a regular on the sitcom Life with Father, and played a lot of "teen" roles, although he was actually 28 when he appeared in Saucer Men. Gloria Castillo was 24 and also played a number of teen roles, mostly on television. 

Because they're young? Terrell and Castillo

Raymond Hatton nearly steals the movie with his blustery and amusing portrayal of Farmer Larkin, who is always afraid some one will steal or kill one of his price heifers.  Douglas Henderson, who plays Lt. Wilkins of the U.S. Air Force,  was in Bert I. Gordon's King Dinosaur and amassed quite a few credits. Frank Gorshin, who later achieved a measure of fame playing the Riddler on Batman, is fine as the ill-fated Joe and seems to be having fun. Ronald Stein contributed a quirky musical score which is still creepy when it needs to be. The constant references to how the teens just won't be believed about the aliens because they're young, and how clueless those pesky adults can be, gets "old" very quickly.

Verdict: See it once and never again. **1/4.

YOU HAVE TO RUN FAST

Elaine Edwards and Craig Hill

YOU HAVE TO RUN FAST (1961). Director: Edward L. Cahn.

Roger Condon (Craig Hill), a young doctor, has to treat a dirty cop who was beaten by thugs who work for mob boss Jim Craven (Grant Richards). When the crooked cop dies, the police want to put Condon in protective custody, but he wants to stay in charge of his life. Therefore he runs off to become a sporting goods salesman -- rechristened Frank Harlow -- in a small hunting community. Meanwhile Craven and his men go on the hunt for Condon, hoping to eliminate him as a witness. The doc stays in an inn owned and run by Colonel Maitland (Willis Bouchey) and his daughter Laurie (Elaine Edwards).  

Craig Hill and Jack Mann as Lt. Carbo

The first problem with this poorly scripted movie is that the lead character is an asshole. He expresses not the slightest remorse nor regret after a cop who was assigned to protect him -- after he's refused to go to a hotel -- is gunned down (but then the lead detective doesn't seem especially bothered by this, either). His idea of "living his life" is shaving his mustache, getting contacts, and completely giving up his hard-earned career as a doctor -- say what? Laurie comes off like a hopeless she-geek -- she is so desperate to have a relationship with Condon that for a birthday present she actually gives him a picture of herself! (Talk about pushy!) Fortunately for her, Condon is equally interested in Laurie. 

As the excitement doesn't mount, Craven shows up in town with two more thugs, leading Condon to run off once more, and a gun battle develops with the old Colonel and his rifle playing a large part. You Have to Run Fast comes off like a barely-produced and padded television episode and it resists interesting developments at every turn. Craig Hill was a handsome "B" actor who went to Europe to make features. He finally got married at age 64 after having hot flings with Rock Hudson and, reportedly, Marlene Dietrich, among others. His early romantic life might have made a more interesting movie than this stinky picture. Director Cahn keeps things moving but to no avail with this bad a story. 

Verdict: Run fast from this movie. *1/2. 

THE WALKING TARGET

Ron Foster

THE WALKING TARGET (1960). Director: Edward L. Cahn. 

"Why would anyone want to live in a cemetery like this -- before they die?" -- Arnie

Nick Harbin (Ron Foster) is released from a five-year spell in prison after a robbery and everyone wants to know what he did with the money, all $260,000 of it. His old girlfriend, Susan (Merry Anders of Legacy of Blood), who has taken up with pal Dave (Robert Christopher), in the interim, is after the loot, as is the crook Arnie Hoffman (Berry Kroeger of Atlantis the Lost Continent), who is working with Dave. The cops would also like to find out where the money is, but Nick's plans are to give at least half of it to Gail (Joan Evans), the widow of the man, Nick's cohort, who was killed fleeing from police. But whatever Nick wants may take a back seat to what Arnie and his nasty buddies have in mind. 

Joan Evans and Ron Foster

The Walking Target is an acceptable if over-familiar crime thriller that features a charismatic lead performance from smooth and good-looking Ron Foster, a frequent player in director Cahn's "B" features. When Susan tells Dave that she is repulsed by Nick's advances, one has to assume she is lying to Dave, as few people would find Ron Foster exactly "repulsive." The other cast members are all on target, with Kroeger impressing with his usual oily and adept delivery. If there's any problem with the movie it's that it's surprisingly slow-paced at times, and it loses steam before a reasonably exciting climax in a diner. 

Verdict: Okay melodrama with a good lead performance and a game supporting cast. **1/2. 

GIRLS IN PRISON

Joan Taylor

GIRLS IN PRISON (1956). Director: Edward L. Cahn. 

Anne Carson (Joan Taylor) is incarcerated in a woman's prison after being convicted of robbery, although she claims she didn't know that the two men she was with were going to commit a crime. She also claims that she has no idea where the money is, a notion that doesn't sit well with fellow inmates Jenny (Adele Jergens), Melanie (Helen Gilbert), and others. Paul Anderson (Lance Fuller of This Island Earth) goes to see Anne's crusty pop (Raymond Hatton) and the two try to find the stolen money. The prison chaplain, Reverend Fulton (Richard Denning), believes that Anne should be transferred to a prison farm where things will be easier for her, but then an earthquake and a prison break -- not to mention a run for the money -- changes the scenario dramatically, 

Taylor and Jergens on the run

Girls in Prison is a lively, engaging "chicks-in-stir" movie and it's one of the better ones. The prolific Edward L. Cahn also turns in one of his best directorial jobs and the picture moves at a swift, exciting pace. Joan Taylor of Earth vs the Flying Saucers is effective in a sort-of bad girl persona, Denning is typically professional and blandly pious, but of the jailed ladies Adele Jergens gets the acting honors with her vivid portrayal of Jenny; Jergens keeps you guessing as to which side she will ultimately be on. Jane Darwell also makes an impression as the unsentimental but sympathetic wardress. Raymond Hatton nearly steals the movie as Pop Carson, always complaining of assorted trials and tribulations while also hoping he can get his hands on some money. 

Richard Denning

Helen Gilbert scores as Melanie, but the rather obvious hints at her sexuality go unexplored. Phyllis Coates is fine as another inmate who murdered her cheating husband and still thinks her little boy is alive. Laurie Mitchell of Queen of Outer Space has a small role as another nasty inmate. The earthquake sequence is handled quite well on a limited budget, and Ronald Stein's score effectively underlines the busy action. The slight touches of religiosity are silly but brief. Cahn also directed the similar Betrayed Women the previous year. This is not to be confused with the inferior Women's Prison also made the previous year. Girls on the Loose, directed by Paul Henreid, is another entertaining flick about an all-girl gang. 

Verdict: Zesty B movie is well-acted and a lot of fun. ***. 

BORN TO SPEED

Vivian Austin and Johnny Sands 

BORN TO SPEED (1947). Director: Edward L. Cahn. 

Johnny Randall (Johnny Sands) is the son of a race car driver who was killed on the track. His mother, Mrs. Randall (Geraldine Wall), is horrified at the prospect of her son following in his father's footsteps and tries to get the help of her late husband's old colleague, Breezy Bradley (Frank Orth) to dissuade him. But Breezy feels Johnny has the makings of a great midget-car racer and things get more complicated when Johnny falls for Breezy's niece, Toni (Vivian Austin billed as Terry Austin), who already has a sort-of boyfriend in rival driver Mike Conroy (Don Castle). Johnny winds up on the track in the guise of the Masked Racer. 

Johnny Sands and Geraldine Wall

Born to Speed is a fast-paced PRC programmer that benefits from some pretty good racing footage, but to say the movie is cliched and mindless is a major understatement.  The performances help a lot, with handsome Sands quite appealing as Johnny and Vivian Austin displaying sauciness if not a lot of sex appeal as Toni. Geraldine Wall had several flavorful appearances on Perry Mason some years later, and likable and adept Frank Orth had nearly 200 credits in his long career. Don Castle had quite a few credits as well, one of them being Roses Are Red. If anything Born to Speed makes clear that racing is perhaps one of the stupidest ways to make a living! 

Verdict: Another PRC non-winner. **.